Chairs' Welcome Message

February 2014

Dear friends and colleagues,

It is tremendously satisfying for us to see tangible results coming from all our efforts over the past few years. With the line-up of fantastic speakers, the Call for Abstracts (for consideration as oral presentations) now complete and over 2000 abstracts received, we are excited to see all of you in Montreal in just a few months.

In addition to an exciting scientific program we have already assured a large number of commercial exhibitors who will be showing their latest and greatest innovations. The Congress is the high point in the celebration of the IYCr and we are working together with our colleagues to promote our discipline locally, nationally and internationally.

We wrote this message as the world’s Olympic athletes competed for gold in Sochi, four years after Vancouver hosted the same event. In addition to the sports themselves, Canadians everywhere were proud to show the world the beauty of our landscapes and our cultures, and your Local Organizing Committee cannot help but see the similarities between this and the pride we feel about hosting IUCr 2014 in Montréal. Yes, we are proud of the crystallography-related science we perform here, but we also want to share with you the natural beauty of this country and the dizzying variety of cultures that are enthusiastically celebrated here.

Montréal prides itself on its Jazz and the now global resurgence of circus performances, thanks almost entirely to the schools that were born in this city, and we are thrilled to be able to offer you a taste of both through our Opening Ceremony and our Xenocs Jazz Night. The congress hotels are located within walking distance from the Palais des congrès, right in the middle of the tourist area, surrounding you with literally hundreds of fabulous restaurants, shops and world-class museums. With something for everyone here, we recommend that you bring your families and mix business with pleasure this summer. We offer lots more information through this site on
options for Social Activities,Hotels and of course, the city itself. Book early to avoid disappointment!

On behalf of the entire Local Organizing Committee, we truly look forward to welcoming you to Montréal this summer.